We Were Children: Little Snakes
by MaybeImAnAnniemal
Summary: Classes, pranks, secret societies, a changing world. Draco Malfoy, and the Nott siblings have a lot of growing up to do in a very short amount of time. Care to see what Little Snakes are made of? (The first book in a series of Four in a tale of loyalty, family, war, love, sacrifice, and the age old question: how far would you go, what lines would you cross, for the ones you love?)
1. Prologue: Origins

(Wiltshire, England 1990)

A small girl with unruly, ebony curls and bright hazel eyes flopped onto an over-stuffed chair dramatically as she finished reading her book for the third time that day. The eight-year-old had been confined to the Conservatory at Malfoy Manor for at least an hour or three; having been tossed into the large, glass-walled room by her older brother Theodore and his best friends Draco and Blaise. She was under strict instruction to not go anywhere for fear the evil, scary house elf would catch her and bite her ears clean off!

The room was large, and exorbitantly decorated, which was to be expected, considering the state of the Manor itself; a looming, oppressive statement of the wealth and power the Malfoy family possessed.

The small girl stood, her shoes making a slight _tap, tap, tap _against the marble flooring as she walked over to an animated globe twice the size of her head, on a stand that was charmed to adjust to the height of whomever stepped up to it. She grinned as the stand shrunk at least eight inches until she was face to face with the large orb. The globe itself had been charmed, presenting bright, twinkling, white lights in representation of all of the Magical Beings in the world, and slightly more muted green lights to represent all the muggles.

Small hands reached out to spin the globe to a particular spot simply blinding with white, glittering lights in the highlands of Scotland. The child grinned, her fingertips dancing over the spot, a smile on her face. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It wouldn't be long now, just under three years until she would get her letter in the mail, offering her a place among the other students there.

More time passed as she explored the room; the pretty flowers lining the walls, the large ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, casting glittering lights across the room, and it wasn't long before the small girl found herself needing the restroom. She suddenly felt nervous, knowing there wasn't a toilet in the Conservatory, and it had been quite some time since she'd heard her brother and his friends nearby.

She tiptoed towards the door, as if even being near it was an offense itself. She turned the handle gingerly, cringing when a loud creak came from the old hinges. A small curly head poked out into the hallway. "Theo?" She whispered, turning to look down each side of the hallway, not a single soul anywhere in sight. "Theo? Theo I have to go to the bathroom!" She said, her voice a little bit louder than before, the girl's nerves serving to make her need more urgent. "Theo please!" The child finally huffed and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Surely the boys couldn't fault her for needing to use the restroom?

She remembered the way towards the fireplace in the main foyer, from which they'd arrived, so she went in the opposite direction, wishing it was common practice to have restroom signs in homes like it was in Diagon Alley.

Turning a corner, the child let out a small squeak as she came face to face with a mounted head of a rather terrifying looking beast. Taking measured steps backward, she continued down the hallway, seeing a door cracked open with golden light streaming into the darkened hallway. Maybe there was someone inside who could tell her if there was a restroom nearby? She walked towards the door, relief flooding her as she heard voices coming from within.

Standing outside the door, she peeked in, seeing two men wearing casual robes, one with long platinum blonde hair and cold, grey eyes, who the child recognized immediately as Mr. Malfoy, Draco's father, and another with shoulder length black stringy hair and a rather pointed nose. She'd seen the man before on occasion, but had never met him. He was a close friend of her father's, and Draco's too, apparently.

"Surely retirement isn't a foreign concept to anyone over there? How many teachers do they have over there at that school, over a hundred years of age? Its insane! And I'm expected to allow my son to attend next year?" Mr. Malfoy boomed, causing the child to shrink back and step on a floorboard that let out a whine of protest. She flinched, and cowered back behind the door. She was terrified of Mr. Malfoy in his pleasant moods, she had no desire to speak with him whatsoever when he was in a cross one.

She dared to peek back around the door, her eyes widening when she found the man she feared staring right at her.

"Draco! How many times have I told you to not eavesdrop on my private conversations?!" The man boomed, flicking his hand, sending the door flying open, knocking the girl onto her bottom with a loud cry, her hands covering her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I was just looking for the bathroom!" She said, tears involuntarily streaming down her cheeks.

Mr. Malfoy sighed, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. He raised his wand to his adam's apple and called out, his voice amplified. "DRACO!"

The girl kept her face covered, her tears and blush too traitorous to show. She heard the loud pounding of someone running towards the office. They skidded to a stop, and a loud moan left the person behind her. "Thalia? How did you- Nevermind. Father, I'm sorry, she was supposed to be in the Conservatory." The 10-year-old huffed, his arms crossed about his chest.

"And I believe I overheard your mother ask you and your friends to keep an eye on her." The man with the pointed nose stated, rising an eyebrow at the boy, nodding his head towards the girl cowering in the doorway. "Fix it."

The boy huffed, his lips narrowed into a scowl as he tapped the girl's shoulder, offering her his hand and pulling her up. Thalia clamored onto her knees and stood, brushing off her bum. "I-I'm sorry I bothered you, Mister Malfoy." Thalia stuttered, feeling incredibly awkward as Draco grabbed her elbow and dragged her out of the room.

"I used a charmed key on that door, Thalia, how'd you get out?" The boy asked harshly, feeling his throat tighten. He didn't like the idea that the small, breakable girl had been so close to his father.

"I dunno… just pulled I guess. Wait, you locked me in?" She cried incredulously. "That's not nice at all!"

The boy shrugged. "Didn't want you wandering about, lot of good it did anyhow." He said, opening a door and gesturing to the toilet. "There you go, the kitchens are down the hall on the left if you're hungry." He said, moving to walk in the opposite direction. "Oh, and by the way—congratulations on your first bit of magic, Little Snake." He said, smirking at her, and the girl beamed as she ran into the toilet, closing the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 1: Beginnings

Chapter One: Beginnings

(London, England 1993)

"I swear to God Thalia if I have to come in there after you…" A disgruntled 13-year-old Theo Nott huffed outside a changing room in Madam Malkin's, waiting on his younger sister.

"Are they supposed to be this long? My knees are itchy." The girl whined, tugging at her charcoal grey uniform skirt uncomfortably.

"How am I supposed to know? Do I look like I've ever worn a skirt before?" The boy groaned, looking longingly out the window at the ice cream parlor across the street.

"You really don't want me to answer that." The 11-year-old quipped pulling up her green and grey tartan knee socks, flinching at the offensively itchy material. As excited as she was to be leaving for Hogwarts on the first of September, she was thoroughly unenthused with the uniform.

"Oi! Look who's got jokes now? Hurry up, I'd like to leave here before I'm ninety."

"Alright, alright I'm nearly done!" The girl snapped, tightening her tie and unlocking the door to the changing stall, stepping out, yanking at the back of her skirt, awkwardly. "I think the skirt is too big, surely they don't mean for it to fall mid-calf." She said, rolling her eyes at her brother's vacant stare. "Honestly, just go on. I can meet you at Florean's when I've finished." She huffed, crossing her arms about her chest.

"Really? You'll be okay?" Theo said, his voice hopeful.

"I'm sure I'll be able to survive the fifteen minutes it'll take to fix my skirt and pay. Theo, just go. You're annoying me." She said, holding out her hand where her brother nearly threw the coin purse at her before he clamored out the door like a dog let off its leash.

She went to the mirror, wondering if she was being a bit presumptuous; buying a Slytherin Uniform before she'd been sorted. She smirked; probably not, considering the last person in her family to _not _be sorted into Slytherin had been a great-great-great Aunt twice removed about forty years ago. That, and if she somehow wasn't sorted into Slytherin, she wouldn't have to worry about a replacement uniform, because her father would kill her. The girl crinkled her nose and grabbed a roll of green ribbon off the wall. She'd need it to tie up her monstrosity of a hairdo. It could apparently rival a bookworm named Granger's "rat nest of mud brown tangles". She didn't know what that meant, or why Draco felt the need to tell her, but she supposed she'd figure it out soon enough.

After getting Madam Malkin's guidance on the proper skirt size and paying for her five sets of uniforms, the ebony haired girl found herself walking into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, rolling her eyes upon the sight of her brother and Blaise Zabini having an ice cream eating contest. _Idiots_.

(London, England September 1st, 1993)

It didn't matter that Thalia Nott had seen her brother and his friends rush at the cement wall of the charmed platform the past two years, the girl found it utterly ridiculous to run full force at a giant block of brick with a rolling cart. With that amount of momentum you'd be asking for a concussion upon arrival on the other side, if you asked her. She stood, stunned still staring up at the sign that plainly said "Platform 9 ¾" in red lettering. She swallowed thickly, the neck of her shirt suddenly feeling too tight.

Theo had already run through, effectively abandoning her. She hadn't expected anything less. He was forced to be a parent when they were home, just like she was forced to be a house-keeper and a chef; the perks of having a father with a distinct taste for firewhiskey, and a distinct lack of paternal instinct. So, it wasn't a surprise to see him go from protective caregiver to carefree 13-year-old boy as soon as he saw his friends. That's how he was supposed to be after all.

She wasn't sure how long she stood with her cart in front of the platform; at least twenty minutes, considering the number of trains that had passed her.

The girl politely declined when a rather worried Security Guard asked if she was lost, and ended up frowning, deciding that she was definitely too chicken to run through the platform. No, she'd much rather go to Hogwarts next year anyway, when she was older, wiser, more distinguished.

She pushed her cart over to a bench, sitting and staring into the carrier that held a regal looking white cat. He was a large beast, with almond shaped amber eyes and a pink nose, long silky white fur and with just looking at him, you'd never guess he was a complete moron. The cat had literally run into a door the other day, and when he found he couldn't simply walk through it, the animal backed up and _tried again._ She'd named him Hatter after the Mad Hatter in her favorite book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He was just as clumsy, and probably just as mad as the Mad Hatter himself, so it seemed a fitting name.

The cat meowed at the girl, who frowned. "I promise we'll go next year. I just don't think either of us are ready for this kind of commitment. Do you?"

_Meow._

"Well I'm glad you have that much self confidence, but not all of us are that self assured." Thalia huffed, turning away from the animal, crossing her legs.

She heard someone clear their throat behind her, to which a crimson flush flooded her cheeks. She tensed, not moving, hoping if she ignored them, they'd go away.

"So, you're speaking to cats now. That's new." A voice she just knew was accompanied by a smirk chortled behind her.

Thalia groaned. _Perfect. _"Yes, we get it, I'm odd and a little bit crazy. Now could you please go run off and do whatever it is that you do? I'm a little busy here." She said, the frown evident in her tone.

She didn't dare look up when she felt someone sit next to her. "Yes, I can see that." Draco Malfoy said, tugging at one of the girl's ringlets. "You do know the train leaves in forty-five minutes, right?" The blonde said, gesturing towards the platform.

"No, that is brand new information. Please tell me more." The girl dead panned, looking up at him with a glare. "I know full well when the train leaves. I just won't be on it."

"While I'm sure dearest Teddy will simply be _thrilled _with that decision," The boy began sarcastically, "You were gabbing my ear off last weekend and driving me mad with all your questions about Hogwarts. What changed?" He asked, still trying to figure out exactly why he cared. There'd always been something about the small curly top that drew him in, and he'd always been confused as to why. The other girls in their group had never influenced him one way or the other, much less caused him to _care _for them.

"I'mscaredtorunontotheplatformIdon'twannadie." The girl rushed out, squishing her words together.

"Let's try that again, this time in English, Little Snake." The third year said, rolling his eyes at her.

"I'm scared to run at the platform. What stops you on the other side from running into something and getting a concussion?" She asked, feeling about as foolish as she sounded.

"Such a little worry wart." The Malfoy heir said, snickering. "Come on then. I'll run with you this time. It's honestly not a big deal, Lia." He said, bumping shoulders with her. "I'm still alive, aren't I? I've done it twice now."

"Yes, but you're not exactly smart enough for there to be a noticeable difference were you to have gotten brain damage." She said, the beginnings of a smile on her face.

"Oh, Thalia, I'm wounded, truly." The boy said, poking her side. "Let's go. We can't be late." He said, pulling her off the bench and dragging her over to the platform.

The petite girl tensed, readying herself for the imminent pain she was surely about to experience. She looked to Draco. "So, we just run?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. We just run." He said, looking around him anxiously before offering the girl his hand. He may care, but he had a reputation to uphold. He couldn't be seen actually _helping _a little unsorted first year. It'd be social suicide.

Thalia grabbed his hand in a vice-like grip as they began jogging, picking up speed. As she neared the wall, she slammed her eyes shut, bracing for impact. When it didn't come and she felt Draco pull her to a stop, the brunette gingerly opened her eyes. "I'm alive?!"

"Of course. It's magic." He said, chuckling. "Oi! Crabbe! C'mere you big oaf!" He shouted, as a large blob of a boy waddled over to them.

"Malfoy! Ey, have a good summer?"

"My summer was of no importance. The bags?" He said, gesturing to his trolley and Thalia's as well.

"Draco, you don't have to-" She was cut off by his hand, picking up the carrier that held her cat and handing it to her, as well as her knapsack, holding her robes to change into on the train.

"That's all you need with you. The rest goes in the baggage car." He said, walking over to a large group of boys with Theo near the center. "You should really keep better track of her. I found her on the muggle side of the gate having a panic attack, Nott." Malfoy snapped, shoving Theo's shoulder roughly.

"Excuse me for believing she could accomplish running twenty yards without me." He said, narrowing his gaze at the taller boy.

"Well maybe you should've checked before you ran off to sniff up Daphne Greengrass' skirt!" Draco boomed, pushing his chest out, standing up straight to his full height, a good six inches taller than the older Nott.

"Gods, Malfoy what are you, my father? Lighten up a bit… jeez."

"You both realize I'm _right here_, don't you?" She asked, and soon realized her question was rhetorical as they'd both been distracted from their argument and taken away by the group. She stood around awkwardly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She went over to the conductor, panicking a bit as he took her ticket and showed her to the First Year Cars. She'd forgotten she wouldn't be able to ride with her brother. She'd be alone.

The girl found an empty car, setting her cat on the seat and struggling to reach the storage above them for her bag. After a minute or so of hopeless stretching, she settled for tucking the bag under the seat. She pulled her wand out of her jacket pocket, staring at it. It was still a little daunting. Fourteen inches, made of Hawthorn with a Phoenix Feather Core. She swished it experimentally, and giggled when the door to her cat's cage swung open. The feline stared at her balefully, looking bored. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well I know it's not all that impressive, but I'm not too skilled yet, am I?" She asked him, looking out the window, and an excited grin on her face.

(Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1993)

_This must be what cows feel like, _Thalia mused as she and the other hundred or so first years were herded off the grounds and into the castle, clamoring down a staircase to the entryway before the Great Hall.

The castle fit no description she'd ever heard. It was massive and regal, with ornate stonework which would have seemed daunting and cold, if it weren't for the vines of ivy growing along the walls. The lights were all golden, it seemed, giving the large opposing structure warmth. It exuded security, safety, and contentment. The only proper description, she thought, was the one Theo had given her in his first letter home during his first year.

_"__I know it's going to be difficult alone with father these next years, Thalia. Just hold on, because Hogwarts really is all we've been waiting for. It feels like coming home. I promise. Hogwarts will be our home, okay?"_

The dark haired child grinned as they were finally ushered into the Great Hall, staring at the bewitched ceiling, marveling at the floating candles and stars she was finally seeing in person.

As the first years waited for Professor McGonagall to call their names to be sorted, it was all Thalia could do to keep from projectile vomiting on the marble flooring from nerves. She'd never been good at making friends, and it was like she'd only just realized how truly horrible it would be to end up in any other house except Slytherin.

Well, not horrible. The Sorting Hat knows what it's doing, so if she was truly supposed to be somewhere else it couldn't possibly be the end of the world…. Right?

"Thalia Nott!" Minerva McGonagall's regal voice carried out over the Great Hall, and the dark haired child felt a shiver run up her spine.

As she took careful steps towards the stool next to the Gryffindor Head of House, she had to fight back a smile as she heard at least three male voices shout and holler, with a distinctly Malfoy voice screaming, "THAT'S RIGHT THALIA. SHOW EM WHAT LITTLE SNAKES ARE MADE OF!" over the polite applause the rest of the student body and staff awarded each new student.

Her friends were idiots, but at least they were moderately sweet idiots.

She sat on the stool, and was unable to look at the hundreds of eyes peering _right _at her. So, with shut eyes, she felt the hat be placed upon her head.

"So, it seems you already have a fanclub over at the darkest House, hmmm?" She heard the deep timbre of the Hat's voice waft over the crowd, effectively silencing everyone.

"N-no.. I-I mean… they're my friends. Darkest house?" The child whispered, her head dipping slightly, confused and slightly embarrassed.

"And a Nott as well? You come from a long line of incredibly intelligent magic, little Nott." The Hat said, but for some reason, that didn't sound like a compliment.

"Er… thank you?" She responded, unsure of what was taking the Hat so long.

"I'm allowed to take my time every now and again, especially with someone as challenging as yourself." The Hat roared, causing the child to flinch. "You're much too…. Cunning for Gryffindor, oh and definitely too witty for Hufflepuff, no that's a much more simple group of youngsters…" The Hat mused, and Thalia had never felt more exposed. The Hat hadn't talked this much with the other students. "I suppose I could toss you in Ravenclaw, you've got the smarts, indeed… but you're too passionate for that." She felt her shoulders relax. "So yes, I guess you get to carry on the family tradition, what was it? Ah, yes, Little Snake. A fitting moniker. SLYTHERIN." The Hat boomed, sending the entire Slytherin table to their feet, roars of applause and shouting carrying through the Great Hall.

Thalia beamed, jumping out of the stool as soon as the Hat left her head, running over to her friends and hugging Theo. As she sat down she could have sworn she felt someone tug one of her curls, but when she turned around to look, no one was around her.

She sat at _her _house's table, and realized she was wrong before. Hogwarts may be her new neighborhood, but Slytherin was definitely her new home. Theo was right. They finally had a home.


End file.
